In the next 20 years, both farming and agro-industries in Africa need to undergo profound structural transformations in order to generate the jobs, incomes and food products so badly needed by the continent’s growing population. To be able to make the vital transition from the current agriculture-led growth strategy to a more prosperous agribusiness development strategy, the power of market demand will be essential to fully developing African agribusiness capacities and achieving international competitiveness.

Abstract

The Global Hunger Index is a comprehensive measure of hunger worldwide and by country and region. Although the proportion of hungry people around the world has declined since 1990, global hunger remains at a level characterized as “serious.” Global Hunger Index scores vary greatly across regions and countries.

Abstract

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security of Malawi and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), supported by Irish Aid and USAID, are organizing a high-level policy conference in Lilongwe, Malawi, September 26-27 in order to bring the three sectors together to unleash the potential for agriculture—as a supplier of food, a source of income, and an engine of growth—to sustainably reduce malnutrition and ill-health.

Feeding the World Sustainably: Reflections, Issues, and Suggestions

Ensuring global food security is a major challenge, but it is not beyond the ken of human ingenuity and determination. Through sustainable and equitable systems of production and consumption, we must meet the needs of the world’s current 6.7 billion inhabitants, as well as the additional 2 to 3 billion expected in coming decades, while recognizing the challenges posed by changing diets and continued production on stressed environmental systems. We must accomplish this using roughly the same amount of land and water as we use today.

Increasing food price volatility in the wake of the 2007-08 food crisis has raised serious concerns around the world because of its impact on the poor. When the G20 agriculture ministers convene in Paris in June, discussions on how to combat excessive commodity price volatility and address poor people’s food security will be at the top of their agenda. These critical issues will also be a top priority during the Cannes summit in November. In both cases, evidence-based policy solutions will be fundamental to informing the agendas.

A key pillar of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture limits trade-distorting agricultural domestic support. Commitments for certain countries are tightened and extended under proposed rules in the stalled Doha Round negotiations. The Doha constraints are more stringent, but notified support of major economies such as the United States and the European Union is already within the final Doha limits. How has this happened and what value would a Doha agreement have?